Washington-based utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is now providing contractor referrals to residential electricity customers who are interested in solar photovoltaic system installations.
Customers interested in installing a solar array and in need of a contractor can receive estimates from two contractors when they request a referral at PSE.com or by calling a PSE energy advisor at (800) 562-1482. PSE recently added 14 solar installers to its Contractor Alliance Network, a group of independent contractors prescreened by the utility to perform energy-related home improvement projects.
‘Understanding that solar works here is the single greatest barrier to widespread adoption of solar energy in the Northwest,’ says Dana Brandt of Ecotech Energy Systems LLC, a PSE-approved contractor. ‘Including solar in [the] Contractor Alliance Network is an important step in educating our community that it's viable.’
In addition to actually installing solar arrays, PSE's referred contractors can help customers prepare the interconnection and production payment documents that are necessary to participate in the utility's net metering program.
Currently, more than 1,000 PSE customers have solar systems installed on their homes, equating to 5 MW of generating capacity.
